It’s happening.

Students are being issued citations for the Social Host Liability Ordinance. After months of protests, meetings and bureaucratic processes, the I.V. Foot Patrol is beginning to enforce the new ordinance. The first citation has already been given on Del Playa Drive. The police and county officials alike are left with this chaotic and ambiguous law that has angered students from its inception.

[media-credit name=”Kiki Niebhur” align=”alignleft” width=”250″][/media-credit]Unfortunately, both sides of this unpopular issue are being forced to deal with this problem. The current county officials working on the ordinance had nothing to do with the drafting of the legislation and are left enforcing this new law they were originally unassociated with. The current police department empathizes with students, but is left with the task of carrying out county orders and respecting the law while still respecting students.

One thing is clear: While students want nothing to do with this ordinance, it’s coming whether they’re up to speed on the issue or not. Many see the ordinance as a disregard for constitutional rights and an infringement on our privacy. Yet what is more alarming is the fact that so many students are unaware of this ordinance and its very serious consequences.
It seems like nobody is willing to work with the students on this issue. However, in the office of the External Vice President for Local Affairs, we have been preparing for this problem for months and are well equipped to defend students’ rights. We have always stood for the students on divisive issues like this, and we hope to best represent your concerns about the ordinance and its impact on our rights. If you have been cited for a social host violation, we want to know. We can help you appeal your ticket, and we need to hear your story to ensure that nobody is being abused in this new environment.

If you have any concerns about the ordinance, have ever received a citation for it or simply wish to learn more about it, please contact us at SocialHostWatch@gmail.com. Associated Students is here to voice your concerns and your needs as a student. Help us accomplish this task and help us organize our efforts to protect your rights.
This is everyone’s fight. We need your voices to make a difference in the struggle against the Social Host Liability Ordinance.

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